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I have shopped at thrift stores quite a bit and possibly one of my best CD shopping experiences ever was at the Goodwill not too far from where I work.
We had gotten an unexpected half day off with pay thanks ot the city utilities cutting the power to the whole building and I decided to go shopping for a new skirt. Now thrift stores are kind of hit or miss but I had time to browse and to try some things on, sorting through all the mis-sized pieces hung in the wrong place and dealing with the frustration that the really cute stuff I liked always seemed to be a couple sizes too small, all the standard thrift store experiences.
I was in the changing room with my latest candidates when someone, I never found out who but believe it was the lady restocking all of my rejects, laid a khaki skirt over the top of the changing room door, I waited for a few minutes expecting it to disappear and even opened the door to see who it might belong to; there was no one in sight, so I tried it on. It fits perfectly, notice I said fits and not fit. It is possibly my favorite skirt and was found for me by a thrift store angel.
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Charity shop ( UK ) i went in ( in drab ) & enquired about a pair of long evening gloves in the window. S/A got them out of the window, no way would they fit my ( big ) hands. The S/A looking at me said " i am worried about you" i knew what she was thinking.....
My reply -- you should worry about yourself ! your wearing "Bob the builder " boots ,trousers, short cropped hair .... she stood for a moment ( could hear the wheels turning in her head ! ) she flung the gloves down & shouted to her mate -- you serve him ,i wont ... another customer standinby me was in tucks ! ( laughing ).
Another story ,- Franchise in a supermarket selling shoes, i was looking for a pair of purple shoes for my daughter. S/A offered to help only to find no size 6 available. She moved away to help another costomer, i carried on looking. Later i aproached the counter with a pair of purple shoes in my hand. Ah says the S/A you found a pair - no says i -- these are for me ......... the rest of the transaction was carried out in silence.........
Liz
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well i price products, help customers, take in donations, swiffer the floors, pick up supplies for the store and share my"self" with anyone who listens, just to name a few....friendly atmosphere and i dress as myself....amazed at what folks donate....good and bad.....center square in belmar nj....
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I have mostly had excellent experiences in thrift stores. I do remember one guy in a Goodwill who kept trying to direct me to the men's section. I just ignored him
I mostly buy women's clothes and have gotten some great buys, mostly for myself but for resale as well
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No bad experiences, was read once, a pleasant encounter.
Nice dresses that appeal to me can be good economy. :-)
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Love going to the thrift stores can find alot of nice tops and pants and shoes never bought any bras never in my size either
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I don't do dress shopping at Goodwill. With over 160 dresses I really do not need anymore. I have never gone shopping in female mode. I have bought feminine attire in male mode. Several times around Halloween I purchased heels at Payless and was treated great. Even a male manager tried to get me to buy one and get one half price. If I would have jumped at the sale I was sure it would have been a giveaway. He even tried to get me to buy hosiery. At another Payless a female sales associate was very helpful and pleasant. When picking up dresses at a "will call" counter I have always been treated cordially and with casual conversation..I get some remarks about the huge mark downs; a $70 dress at 80%. It always seems the younger the sales associate the friendlier.
The only times I have had snarky or unpleasant encounters, it has always been with older women. I think they were from the by-gone years when anything out of the ordinary was viewed with negativity. Once I went into A Catherine's to buy a set of my favorite full slips in black and white. I could see the rack by the window when I approached. When I entered the store it was as if space aliens had invaded. I was dressed in business attire; shirt and tie, slacks, shaved. Two women were so edgy it was bordering on rudeness. At three other Catherine's I was treated as a valued customer. They were friendly. Once at a JC Penny I bought a Vanity Fair foundation half slip. An older woman gave me a snarky comment, "Oh, you even got the right size!"
Over the years I worked cash registers and I know how boring and mundane things can get. I always chat a cashier up. After awhile some are like family. My favorite I have known since 1976. My advice is to never talk down to anyone. Sometimes a brief word, even to the average person on the street, will wake them out of a funk.
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She probably didn't mean anything by what she said. She may or may not have read you anyway, which happens to most of us.